Indoreonectes amrabad, Jadhav & Karuthapandi & Jaiswal & Shankar & Dinesh & Raghunathan & Banerjee, 2024

Indoreonectes amrabad sp. nov.

( Figures 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 , Table 1)

Type material: Holotype: 49.3 mm SL. India, Eastern Ghat , Telangana State , Amrabad Tiger Reserve , Stream near Vatavarlapally 16.2513 N; 78.7613 E, 799 m asl, GoogleMaps

01.x.2020, coll. Shrikant Jadhav and M. Karuthapandi (ZSI/ FBRC /F/4036). Paratypes: 9 exs, 32.0– 38.4 mm SL; same locality and label data as holotype (ZSI/ FBRC /F/4037); 6 ex, 27.9–50.4 mm SL. India, Eastern Ghats , Telangana State , Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Mallelateertham waterfall, 16.2672 N; 78.8558 E, 646 m asl GoogleMaps , 16.xii.2019, coll. Shrikant Jadhav and M. Karuthapandi (ZSI/ FBRC /F/4038); 3 ex, 47.0– 56.3 mm SL. India, Eastern Ghats , Telangana State , Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Mallelateertham waterfall, 16.2672 N; 78.8558 E, 646 m asl GoogleMaps , 19.iii.2019, coll. Shrikant Jadhav and M. Karuthapandi (ZSI/ FBRC /F/4083); all other details same as paratypes ZSI/FBRC/F/4038 .

Type depository: The type specimens are deposited in the museum collections of the Zoological Survey of India, Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Hyderabad, India (ZSI/ FBRC) .

Diagnosis: Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from all congeners by having irregular brown to black blotches or patches (vs. bars narrower than inter-bar spaces in I. evezardi , I. keralensis , I. telanganaensis , I. rajeevi , I. kalsubai ; lateral bars wider than inter-bar spaces in I. neeleshi , and lateral and inter-bar spaces equal in I. radhanagari ) on the lateral surface of the body; five to six rows of dark-brown spots (vs. three to four rows of dark-brown spots in I. evezardi , I. keralensis , I. telanganaensis , I. rajeevi , I. kalsubai , I. neeleshi , and I. radhanagari ) on the caudal-fin rays.

Further, Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from I. keralensis by having nasal barbel reaching the middle of the eye (vs. reaching the anterior margin of the eye); inner rostral barbel reaching up to nostril (vs. reaching posteriorly to anterior margin of the eye); presence (vs. absence) of dorsal hump behind nape; presence (vs. absence) of a dark brown to black spot on base of first dorsal-fin ray and distinct spots on the dorsal side of the head; and caudal peduncle deeper than long (vs. longer than deep). Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from I. evezardi by the presence (vs. absence) of spots on the cheek below the eye; and caudal peduncle bar not divided into two spots (vs. divided into two spots). Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from I. telanganaensis by having a caudal peduncle deeper than long (vs. as long as deep); and blotches on the body (vs. lateral bars narrower than inter-bar spaces).

Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from I. rajeevi by having the absence (vs. presence) of a conspicuous black marking on the lower lip; presence (vs. absence) of dorsal hump behind the nape; caudal peduncle deeper than long (vs. slightly longer than deep); inner rostral barbel reaching the posterior border of the nostril (vs. reaching posteriorly to anterior margin of the eye); maxillary barbel not reaching the posterior border of operculum (vs. reaching to the posterior border of operculum); presence (vs. absence) of a dark brown to black spot at the base of first dorsal-fin ray and distinct spots on the dorsal side of the head.

Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from I. neeleshi by having blotches (vs. lateral and inter-bars) on the lateral body; caudal peduncle deeper than long (vs. as long as deep); Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from I. kalsubai by having blotches (vs. lateral and inter-bars) on the lateral body; caudal peduncle deeper than long (vs. as long as deep); presence (vs. absence) of a dark brown to black spot at the base of first dorsal-fin ray and distinct spots on the dorsal side of head; presence (vs. absence) of spots on the cheek below the eye.

Indoreonectes amrabad can be distinguished from I. radhanagari by having blotches (vs. lateral and inter-bars); caudal peduncle deeper than long (vs. as long as deep); presence (vs. absence) of spots on the cheek below the eye.

Description: Morphometric data of the holotype and eighteen paratypes are provided in Table 1. Body elongate, slender, anteriorly cylindrical, posteriorly depressed, its length 6.3–8.4 times depth; greatest depth between pectoral-fin base and dorsal-fin. Predorsal outline convex, gradually rising to dorsal-fin origin, post dorsal outline straight up to the base of the caudal fin, a distinct hump behind nape; Ventral profile almost straight.

Head depressed, snout prominent, moderately rounded in ventral view; eyes large, dorso-laterally placed, not visible from ventral view. Mouth semicircular in ventral aspect, with thick fleshy lips, lower lip with a slight median interruption. Barbels well developed, four pairs; two rostral barbels almost equally long, inner one extending up to the posterior border of the nostril, outer reaching slightly beyond anterior margin of eye; maxillary barbel longest, extending beyond perpendicular from the posterior border of the eye; nasal barbel reaching the middle of the eye. Lips and barbels covered with unculi.

The dorsal fin origin is situated slightly posterior to vertical through pelvic-fin insertion, closer to the base of the caudal fin than the snout tip, its posterior margin rounded, with 3 (19) simple and 7 (19) branched rays. The pectoral fin is rounded, horizontally placed, and smaller than the head, with 1 (19) simple and 9 (19) branched rays. Ventral fin origin is slightly in advance of dorsal-fin origin, with 1 (19) simple and 7 (19) branched rays, not reaching the anus when depressed. Anal fin with 3 (19) simple and 5 (19) branched rays, not reaching caudal-fin base when depressed. Caudal fin rounded, with 18(6) or 19*(13) principal rays (with 4–5* unbranched and Three new species of hill stream loach genus Indoreonectes (Teleostei: Nemacheilidae ) from peninsular India fin interradial membrane hyaline with three rows of black spots on rays; rays of pectoral fin with some black pigmentation, especially at point of first branching, forming an indistinct row of dots in these fins; ventral and anal fin hyaline, lacking spots; caudal-fin interradial membrane hyaline, with five to six rows of dark-brown spots on rays; distinct dark-brown vertical bar on caudal-fin base. Ventral surface without any markings. In preservatives ( Figure 4 View Figure 4 ), general colouration is faded.

14*–15 branched rays); dorsal and ventral procurrent rays subdermal. Caudal peduncle equal to or deeper than long, with length-to-depth ratio 1.0–1.2. The lateral line is incomplete with 9*–10 pores, short, ending above the middle of the pectoral fin. Scales minute. Cephalic lateral-line system with 4*(7), 5(10), 6(2) supraorbital, 3(4), 4*(15) + 7(3), 8*(6), 9 (8), 10(2) infraorbital, 3(8), 4*(11) supratemporal pores, and 8(10), 9(7), 12*(2) preoperculomandibular canal pores.

Colouration: In life ( Figure 3 View Figure 3 ). Body colour golden yellowish-white to grey with brownish-black blotches or patches on the lateral body. Head studded with densely scattered small dark-brown spots; cheek spots below eye present. The dorsal fin anterior spot is black. Dorsal Habitat: At the time of collection, the type locality was a stream up to 2 m wide, flooding during the monsoon, overflowing through the Vatavarlapally pond, and ultimately reaching Mallelateertham waters, within Amrabad Tiger Reserve. The substrate was comprised of sand with mud, and the maximum water depth was 15 cm. At the second location, Mallelateertham, the stream was observed to flood during the monsoon season, reducing flow during late summer; substrate at this location comprises large stones, gravels, boulders and sand. Co-occurring species in both locations are Rasbora daniconius , and Devario aequipinnatus . Schistura denisoni , Paracanthocobitis sp. , and Garra mullya occur in Mallelateertham only.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the name of the type locality, ‘Amrabad Tiger Reserve’, a protected area in the state of Telangana. The species epithet is a noun in apposition to the generic name.

Distribution: Indoreonectes amrabad is currently known from Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Telangana ( Figure 1 View Figure 1 ). Common name: Amrabad loach